The investigation of the state of the art disclosed three patent documents considered as the closest “prior art”.
Devices for measuring skinfold thickness are known in the state of the art. Such is the case of the device described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,239 referring to an apparatus for measuring skinfold thickness with jaws prepared for applying constant force. However this patent does not describe the mechanism generating constant force, which is one of the aims of the present invention and which permits to multiply the spring force.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,372 also describes a device for measuring skinfold thickness with C-shaped jaws and also incorporating a spring in a central position that permits the application of constant force. As in the previous document this patent document does not describe the mechanism for the constant force actuator that is one of the aims of the present invention.
Finally, the document WO9317297 refers to a device possessing two jaws and a sensor for reading the jaws displacement and converting this displacement into the skinfold thickness measurement. This patent does not describe the use of a mechanism generating a constant force.